End of the Road (One-Shot)
by Scarlett88
Summary: This story takes place during season 3 (End of the Road), and takes place at Lucy and Mitch's wedding reception.


**I forgot all about this little one-shot, and thought now would be the perfect time to share it with everyone. I apologize for my multiple unfinished 'Dallas' stories. One of these days, they will be finished (even my 'dream season' tale, which has been incomplete for several years now). To all who read, review, and check back to see if anything new is added, I thank-you very sweetly. **

Sue Ellen Ewing escaped from the adoring eyes of the married Clint Ogden and raced into the house, nearly crashing into a caterer on the way. She breathlessly stood among bouquets of flowers, platters of food waiting to be delivered outside, and straggling guests wanting to stay out of the Texas heat. Sue Ellen didn't care about anything else as she raced up the stairs, fending off concerned glances from her mother in law Miss Ellie Ewing and her good friend Mavis Anderson.

She sought refuge in her bedroom, which was an odd place given the debauchery that had taken place minutes earlier. Sue Ellen glared viciously at the bed that had been slept in one too many times, careful to sit on the well made side of the bed. Sue Ellen didn't know what hurt her more – the fact that her husband had chosen to sleep with another women after months of devotion to her, or that he would choose to be so callous in their bedroom and attempt to hide the evidence from her. _Everything comes out in the end J.R., _Sue Ellen swore under her breath, _there are no secrets between us._

Sue Ellen touched the tip of her fingers, still warm from Clint's Ogden's touch. Why had she agreed to dance with him, risk being scrutinized at a Ewing affair? Part of her wanted to make J.R. jealous, to teach him a lesson after bedding Afton Cooper, the Ewing's newest in-law on what was supposed to be a sacred day. Another part of her wanted to be desired by someone – anyone – and Clint wasn't shy about stating his feelings for her. He had been slowly pining for her for several years, quietly married to another woman – Alicia Ogden – all the while trying to prove himself worthy of her. The relationship ended over a decade ago – they were both young students in college. Pressure from her mother had driven a wedge between the two coeds; Patricia Shepard was convinced that poor Clint Ogden was not good enough for _her daughter._ The woman had no right to be a snob – the families shared the same middle status – but Patricia always said that she wanted more for her daughters, and that meant that they couldn't be married to just anyone. She wanted a better life for her children, to give them opportunities that she never had; while her intentions seemed noble, Patricia robbed her girls of the opportunity to find true love on their own, forcing them to comply with her match-making skills.

Sue Ellen had fought long and hard to marry J.R. Ewing. She had charmed the oil baron with her beauty, intellect, charm, and grace. It wasn't long before the well-known playboy was ready to resign his status and pick Sue Ellen as his bride. Winning J.R. was only half the battle for Sue Ellen – there was still her mother to contend with. Patricia Shepard found J.R. to be a satisfactory suitor for Sue Ellen, but she was convinced that she found someone better in Billy Frompton. Billy's family was the most prominent family in Texas; dabbling in oil, coal, uranium, and diamonds – there was nothing that Billy Frompton didn't have – except for a personality. Sue Ellen found him dull and all of the money in the world couldn't sustain her interest in him long enough for a decent courtship. It took excessive cajoling from Sue Ellen for Patricia to see that her daughter had made up her mind about J.R. Ewing and was going to become his wife whether she approved of it or not. Patricia reluctantly agreed to the arrangement and Sue Ellen soon found herself swept into the Ewing world.

Sue Ellen examined her surroundings through inquisitive eyes. J.R. and the Ewing family had given her many blessings, but it seemed that each one was sullied by a condition connected to it. Sue Ellen could have had every material object she ever wanted – as long as she complied to the unspoken Ewing rules. The rules were numerous and harsh on the naïve Texas beauty. The main Ewing rule was that all Ewing women were to exist solely for their husbands. After marrying J.R., Sue Ellen was quickly discouraged from continuing her education or exploring a modeling career and was advised to join her mother-in-law her DOA efforts. She soon learned that being a Ewing wife was a full time job – one that would consume her for the rest of her life. One of the toughest rules for Sue Ellen to swallow, and one that she found out right away, was that Ewing wives were replaceable. Any time Sue Ellen got out of line, J.R. was quick to remind her that he could divorce her and leave her penniless. Sue Ellen had been encouraged by her mother to stay the course with J.R. and keep him happy; according to her mother that was Sue Ellen's number one priority.

And it was. Sue Ellen gave up everything she ever wanted to become Mrs. J.R. Ewing. In the beginning she found it a small sacrifice to be with the man she loved, but looking back Sue Ellen was forced to wonder what being Mrs. Ewing had truly gotten her. Closing her eyes, she knew she wasn't happy, and hadn't been for some time. She was waiting for the other shoe to drop with J.R., she had doubted his ability to be faithful to her from the very beginning, and she knew it was only a matter of time before he strayed from her once again.

But this dalliance hurt her more than any of the others, including the brief Kristin affair the previous year. A few days before she had made love to her husband in that same bed, believing that he loved her and that all was well with them. When they had finished that afternoon, Sue Ellen knew that she was only fooling herself and toiled with the issue during Lucy's bridal shower, going through the motions. That was until she came back in the house and had a not so pleasant encounter with Afton Cooper on the stairwell. Sue Ellen let out a laugh about young, naïve Afton. Sue Ellen had been able to pick up on her overly friendly attitude the minute Lucy introduced her to the family. The young opportunist latched onto J.R. with little regard for decency and propriety. Sue Ellen could see the dollar signs in Afton's eyes as she generously laughed at J.R.'s jokes and stayed by his side for the entire evening. Afton's comment to Sue Ellen about being lucky to have 'such a fine husband as J.R.' gave Sue Ellen all of the information she needed about the newest interloper. Her husband, however devoted he seemed to be, was rarely able to resist the charms of a young woman – whether she was family or not.

Sue Ellen reached for her wedding picture to J.R., blinking her eyes to combat the tears that were readily forming. _It could have been a beautiful day _Sue Ellen thought remorsefully, feeling her face become warmer from the hot droplets. _Lucy was getting married and starting a life of her own, J.R. was going to get full control of Ewing Oil – there was no reason that this day should have turned out like this._

Sue Ellen traced the frame of her husband's face. He grew more handsome each year; his looks, coupled with his natural charisma made J.R. the target of many women's affections. J.R. had a Texas size appetite for women, brought on by his father, and with dozens of women more than willing to be his latest fling of the moment. Sue Ellen silently wondered if it would ever be possible to hold his attention for longer than a month with the way his eyes constantly wandered.

J.R. Ewing blindly walked by well-wishers as he headed for the Southfork stairwell. All of the happiness of the day was beginning to get to him. J.R. grumbled to himself, lamenting the fact that Lucy's wedding day didn't go exactly as he had planned. He had counted on Bobby leaving Ewing Oil for good, and he did, but J.R. hadn't counted on Bobby scoring points with Jock in the process. J.R. had planned for Bobby to leave the company in disgrace and beg J.R. to come back and set things right, but Bobby handled everything on his own – his way, above board.

But J.R. had bigger problems than Ewing Oil and the company fortune at the moment; he saw the way his parents had been acting during the wedding, during the entire weekend – ever since Gary and Valene came in from California. J.R. had heard conversations that he shouldn't have been listening to and he saw firsthand just how far apart his precious mamma and daddy were becoming. He had once seen them as indestructible, the glue that held the family together. It shook him deeply to see them arguing – over Ray Krebbs no less – that it caused J.R. to do a very foolish thing.

She had cornered him, like snake waiting for her prey. Young Afton Cooper was craftier and wiser than most people would ever give her credit for. She saw the opportunity the minute she laid eyes on him and she was more than willing to do everything in her power to get what she wanted. Afton wasted no time in moving in on him, reminding him of their last little rendezvous in the bedroom, another instance where she had sought him out, and he had been weak enough to let her take advantage.

His mind was telling him no, to go back down to the wedding party – to his wife – and leave the little girl to her own devices. But she stood there, throwing herself at him, and J.R., against his better judgment, gave into her. The continuing disarray of his parent's marriage had gotten to him and he was now beginning to believe that his relationship with Sue Ellen would eventually come to the same fate as his parents – and that frightened him.

He loved Sue Ellen; he knew he loved her more than any other woman in the world, excluding his mother. He slowly went through the motions with Afton, he felt no pleasure in what he was doing, only guilt, shame, and terror. Their tryst was brief and unmemorable, J.R. had promised to provide for her and her mother in exchange for her silence on the matter, and Afton was more than willing to agree to his terms. He quickly got dressed and turned his attention to the unmade bed. Thoughts ran through his mind as Afton talked on and on about how she wanted to be a big singer and have legions of money and fans. J.R. hastily made the bed, refusing to acknowledge Afton's presence until he told her that it was time that they both went back downstairs, before someone suspected something. Afton readily agreed and went down the Ewing staircase with a smile on her face. J.R. stole another look at the bed; he hadn't bothered to smooth the sheets, merely pulling the comforter over one side. He could have corrected his mistake and make the bed properly, but he chose not to. Disgusted with himself and his family, J.R. had begun to believe that Sue Ellen would be better off away from him – and the Ewing name, that she deserved better than he could ever give her. With a heavy heart, he turned his back on his sin; he was setting her up, and while he knew that she would hate him for it, he was certain that it would be for her own good.

J.R. headed up the stairs, bypassing a feuding Bobby and Pam in the hallway. _Seems like all of the Ewing marriages are destined to fail _he muttered, pausing outside of his bedroom. He could hear the distinctly soft cry of his wife of over ten years. Frowning, J.R. realized that Sue Ellen had seen his misdeed, and he was unsure of what to do next.

"Darlin'," J.R. said softly, coming into the bedroom. He gauged her quivering form and quickly pulled his handkerchief out of his suit pocket, handing it to her.

"You are despicable, J.R.," Sue Ellen said under her breath, turning to glare at him, refusing his kind gesture.

J.R. said nothing as he ventured toward her, taking a seat next to her on the bed.

"Why did you do it?" she asked hoarsely, glaring at the unmade bed. "Why her?"

J.R. shook his head, regretting his decision to push Sue Ellen away in such a callous fashion. "I can't explain it Sue Ellen…" he trailed off.

"Did you do it to hurt me?" Sue Ellen asked softly. "Do you hate me that much?"

J.R. reached his arm for Sue Ellen's shoulder. "Oh no, I could never hate you Sue Ellen." He was surprised when she didn't push him away, so he boldly ventured forward. "I love you Sue Ellen," he said softly.

"You have a funny way of showing it," Sue Ellen said spitefully, refusing to meet him in the eye. "I'd hate to see what you'd do to someone you truly hate," she scoffed.

"Afton approached me," J.R. said nervously, knowing that it was a flimsy excuse at best.

Sue Ellen shook her head. "I knew you were taking a shining to our newest little house guest the minute you two met at dinner. If I had been smart, I would have seen the signs and known this was coming."

"I didn't want to do it," J.R. insisted.

Sue Ellen flashed her hazel eyes at her husband. "Months of fidelity down the drain J.R. You promised me forever. How was I to know that 'forever' would only last a few months." The tears trickled down her cheeks, prompting J.R. to pull her in his arms. He could never bear to see her cry.

"Sue Ellen – I imagined things would be different for us." J.R. gingerly dried Sue Ellen's cheeks, massaging the skin.

Sue Ellen looked into J.R.'s eyes, showing the hurt of a woman scorned once again. "Are you trying to tell me that you want a divorce?" she quivered, frightened that his affair with Afton would lead to his declaration that he intended to move on and discard her like an old newspaper. She pulled away from J.R.'s embrace.

J.R. gripped the edge of the bed in frustration. "I don't know what I want." He sent his wife a desperate look. "Things didn't exactly go as I planned today."

"Why not?" Sue Ellen scoffed. "You got control of Ewing Oil didn't you?"

"Yes," J.R. replied, "But it seems that I've underestimated Bobby's business skills."

Sue Ellen glared at her husband. "So is that why you slept with Afton – to blow off some steam after being beaten by brother Bobby yet again."

J.R. let out a heavy sigh. "It's more than that Sue Ellen."

Sue Ellen narrowed her hazel eyes. "Did something else happen today?"

"I don't know why Lucy's bothering to get married at all," J.R. muttered, ignoring Sue Ellen's question. "All Ewing marriages are destined for failure."

Sue Ellen took in a deep breath, feeling her heart begin to sink within her body. "Why would you say something like that?" Sue Ellen asked softly, terrified of the answer. She looked into J.R.'s deep blue eyes and saw an untapped vulnerability that she hadn't seen since he had been shot. He was no longer the strong and powerful oil baron, but a lost little boy. "Talk to me," she pleaded, taking a shaky hand and placing it on his shoulder.

"I saw Mamma and Daddy arguing again," J.R. said quietly, looking directly at the wallpaper; he couldn't bear to make contact with his wife, let her see his pain. "They've been arguing a lot lately."

"I've noticed," Sue Ellen said softly. It was hard for any of the Ewings to not notice the way Jock and Ellie had been acting toward one another. The couple that had once been so close was now distant and it was apparent at everything from dinner to cocktails.

"I heard Mamma mention the word 'divorce'," J.R. continued, "I've never seen her so angry at my daddy before."

Sue Ellen let out a soft sigh. "I couldn't imagine your parents going through such a thing."

"Neither can I," J.R. muttered. "And to think that that could be us."

Sue Ellen's lip began to tremble. "I don't understand."

"All Ewing marriages are destined for failure," J.R. said finally, giving Sue Ellen a sorrowful look.

"Then you do want a divorce?" Sue Ellen asked, welling up.

J.R. lowered his head. "I was trying to protect you Sue Ellen."

Sue Ellen raised her hand to her mouth. "Protect me?"

"I'm no good for you," J.R. said finally, looking into her hazel eyes. He wanted things to be different for them, but at the moment he didn't see any other way. "I'd only end up hurting you down the road in the same way my parents hurt each other."

Sue Ellen shuddered at J.R.'s declaration. "You can't push me away," she said hoarsely. "I deserve better than that."

J.R. nodded his head. "You deserve better than I could ever give you," J.R. murmured, reaching for his wife's hand. "You're the most beautiful woman in the world Sue Ellen, and I know in my heart that I don't deserve you – after everything I've put you through over the years." Sue Ellen lowered her head as J.R. continued. "When I saw my mamma and daddy heading on a slippery slope towards divorce court – I couldn't bear to see that happening to us down the line." J.R. cupped Sue Ellen's face in his hands. "I'd rather let you go now then hurt you down the line. Give you a chance to start over. I don't want to end up like my Mamma and Daddy after years of being together."

"Is that how you see us?" Sue Ellen questioned, placing her fingers on his hand.

"I don't see another way," J.R. said, taking his wife's hand. "If my Mamma and Daddy can't stay married, then what hope is there for us?"

Sue Ellen shook her head. "We are not your parents," she insisted. "And just because they're going through a rough patch doesn't mean that they won't reconcile."

J.R. lowered his head. "I was trying to protect you Sue Ellen." He inhaled the floral scent of her perfume. "I don't think I could ever be the man that you deserve." He pulled away, refusing to let desire take over his inhibitions. "Look at Bobby and Pam – they're not exactly in wedded bliss – and he's the better brother," he scoffed.

"Oh J.R.," Sue breathed as she linked her arms through J.R.'s body. It had never occurred to her that J.R. felt so insecure about their marriage – that the thoughts that he was feeling could be so similar to her own. "Giving up on us would hurt me more than anything else in the world." J.R. turned to Sue Ellen as she continued. "We've been given a second chance J.R.; I don't want to lose that." She lifted her chin determinedly. "I can forgive you for cheating with Afton – I know you've forgiven me for worse. But I could never forgive you for throwing away our marriage."

J.R. inched closer to Sue Ellen. "Darlin' I love you."

"Then fight for us," Sue Ellen insisted. "If you have doubts or concerns about our marriage or your family, I'd rather you share them with me than with someone else."

J.R. wrapped Sue Ellen in his arms. "I can't promise to be a perfect husband Honey, I know I'll make mistakes in the future, but I promise to love you with all my heart."

"That's all I can ask," Sue Ellen whispered as J.R. pulled her into a soft kiss. Sue Ellen deepened his gesture, letting him know that he was truly forgiven for sleeping with Afton.

"You know we haven't shared a single dance together today," Sue Ellen said shyly, gazing into her husband's blue eyes.

J.R. gave Sue Ellen a kiss on the cheek and opened the balcony door, so that they could hear the music swelling outside. "May I have this dance, Mrs. Ewing?" he asked, offering her his hand.

Sue Ellen gracefully walked toward J.R. and took his hand in hers. "You can have every dance with me for the rest of your life."

"I wouldn't have it any other way," J.R. said as they swayed to the music. It didn't matter what was going on around them, all that mattered was that they were together and in love; everything else disappeared.


End file.
